Aggresive rooster

[JRsMom]

What does it mean when a rooster shakes his head? I have a Orp. rooster who seems to be getting very aggresive towards the hens. My best hen in particular. He shakes his head and does a little dance, and she runs away. She is the top hen,in the pecking order among the 3 girls. He also tends to get aggresive towards me when I go out to the pen. I don't go in the pen without a stick. My hubby says he needs to be brought down a notch. The girls haven't let him mate for about 6 weeks as far as I can tell. The funny thing is, the one who was more willing is now the one that he picks on the most. They were all born in March. I don't want to get rid of him if I can help it, but the girls are more important to me than he is. Would he kill her? Is this just normal behavior?
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[sceggs]

His behavior to the hens doesn't sounds unusual, but if he is being aggressive to you he needs an attitude adjustment. I have a BO rooster about the same age. He got fiesty with me a couple times. Just gotta show him who is boss.

 

[JRsMom]

Thanks, I have given him a whack with the stick a couple times, never tried to pick him up, they aren't pets so they don't get held. My hubby said maybe seperate him from the hens for a couple days, maybe he'll appreciate them more.

 

[sceggs]

You could try separating them, I have heard of people doing that before to solve such problems. Unless he is hurting the hens I wouldn't worry to much about it. He is basically a teenage rooster right now. Mine looked to be a little aggressive when mating at first too but they all figured it out and things are much calmer now. He is not going to kill the hens, but if he is being to rough or mating them to much you will see bald spots or injuries on the hens. As long as you aren't seeing anything like that I wouldn't worry to much. I would be more worried about him being aggressive to you. When he is aggressive just give a good slap. Also snatching a rooster up and carrying him around for a while seems to humble them a bit. You can probably get that rooster straightened out.

 

[1muttsfan]

Is he kind of dancing around you when you go in, like he does to the hens? I have a rooster that does his hen dance for me, not aggressive at all, as opposed to a rooster that flares his feathers and flies at you in challenge.

 

[Smoochie]

I would just get rid of him as you probably do not want to pass that trait along and they do not "train" easily when they go mean. Often they just get worse and sneakier. There are too many roosters that are nice and need homes to chose from.

 

[JRsMom]

Nope, just waits until your back is turned, then sneak attack from behind.
He does more of a head wag than head shaking, been noticing him doing it more often, that, and wagging his tail feathers.

 

[hennotrooster]

Thanks, I have given him a whack with the stick a couple times, never tried to pick him up, they aren't pets so they don't get held. My hubby said maybe seperate him from the hens for a couple days, maybe he'll appreciate them more.

My roo (no longer with us) got very aggressive. While cleaning the yard one morning I had bent over to pick up something and he attacked full force had my husbands old shoes on and I took one off and threw it at him and then the other, it nailed him. I just kept throwing the shoes toward him yelling NO till he stayed away, that was the last time he attacked me. I did that after he came at me for the third time that morning but after that I could go in and he would go stand behind the coop or at the other end of the yard and wait till I left before he would go eat. Sometimes you need to be the attacker. He too was getting to aggressive with my hens and had to get rid of him. Oh when he attacked me the very first time when he was younger I batted him with a small rack so he was afraid of the sound of the rack all I had to do was have it in my hand and he would stay away.

Good luck be tough